Proverbs 17-20

Chapter 17

Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife. 2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord tries the hearts. 4 A wicked doer gives heed to false lips; and a liar gives ear to a naughty tongue. 5 Whoso mocks the poor reproaches his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. 7 Excellent speech becomes not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that has it: whithersoever it turns, it prospers. 9 He that covers a transgression seeks love; but he that repeats a matter separates very friends.

10 A reproof enters more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool. 11 An evil man seeks only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

13 Whoso rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. 14 The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. 15 He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. 16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he has no heart to it?

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 18 A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes surety in the presence of his friend. 19 He loves transgression that loves strife: and he that exalts his gate seeks destruction.

20 He that has a froward heart finds no good: and he that has a perverse tongue falls into mischief. 21 He that begets a fool does it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool has no joy. 22 A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.

23 A wicked man takes a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. 24 Wisdom is before him that has understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. 26 Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity. 27 He that has knowledge spares his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28 Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Chapter 18

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom. 2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

3 When the wicked comes, then comes also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. 4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. 5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for strokes. 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit. 12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.

13 He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him. 14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

15 The heart of the prudent gets knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16 A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. 17 He that is first in his own cause seems just; but his neighbor comes and searches him.

18 The lot causes contentions to cease, and parts between the mighty. 19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. 20 A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

22 Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the Lord.

23 The poor uses entreaties; but the rich answers roughly. 24 A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Chapter 19

Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hastes with his feet sins. 3 The foolishness of man perverts his way: and his heart frets against the Lord.

4 Wealth makes many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbor. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape. 6 Many will entreat the favor of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that gives gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

8 He that gets wisdom loves his own soul: he that keeps understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall perish. 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

11 The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 16 He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises His ways shall die. 17 He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the Lord; and that which he has given will he pay him again.

18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou may be wise in thy latter end. 21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord tends to life: and he that has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

24 A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that has understanding, and he will understand knowledge. 26 He that wastes his father, and chases away his mother, is a son that causes shame, and brings reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes to err from the words of knowledge.

28 An ungodly witness scorns judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

Chapter 20

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provokes him to anger sins against his own soul. 3 It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. 5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. 6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

7 The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. 8 A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? 10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord. 11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. 12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord has made even both of them.

13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shall be satisfied with bread. 14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasts. 15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. 19 He that goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips. 20 Whoso curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. 22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. 23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

24 Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? 25 It is a snare to the man who devours that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.

26 A wise king scatters the wicked, and brings the wheel over them. 27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. 28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. 30 The blueness of a wound cleanses away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Scroll down to read…
King James Version Bible. It was authorized by King James I. It was translated by the Church of England and was first published in 1611.

God’s words are in red letters, old and new testament, as it should be. It is in paragraph form for easy reading. With all verses numbers labeled in blue for quick reference.

The Apocrypha was in the original King James version of the Bible. It should never have been removed. At the time Jesus was on earth the old testament and the Apocrypha scriptures were studied.

All scripture is Jewish scripture, Judaism is a religion not an ethnicity. Jesus is the Savior of the Jews. He is the Head of the Church.

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Translate Site

..

Red Letter Online Bible